I finish chewing, wash it down with a sip of coffee, then nod.“It’s delicious.”
He doesn’t push, just nods back, like he knows I’m not just talking about the meal.But the combination of the food, the quiet, and the back corner is all something I needed.That’s what I am realizing about Keith.He doesn’t need to say much.He reads people in a way that we doctors do.Or maybe it’s just him, still looking after me because I’m his best friend’s kid.
After we eat, heading outside feels like stepping into a different world.People are stringing up lights between trees, setting tables along the blocked-off main street.
“You wait till tonight.The setup is unreal.”
“I don’t get the fuss about a welcome party.I don’t need one.”
“I know, but this town likes to welcome newcomers.It’s a good way to meet everyone.When I lost Sage, these people were there for me.They helped me get back on my feet.”
Guilt clenches in my chest.I wish I could’ve done more.Been there for Keith, maybe if I had, I wouldn’t be in the mess I am right now.“You should’ve called me.I would’ve come earlier.”
“No need.That’s what I’m saying; this town is like family.You didn’t need to drop your life because mine fell apart.They helped me rebuild.”
His words feel foreign.Family?I never thought of the city or the hospital that way.
Maybe showing up tonight isn’t just about me.Maybe it’s a way to thank them for looking after Keith when I wasn’t there.
“I’ll come,” I say quietly.“Maybe have a drink.I won’t stay long.”
Even with the article and my picture out there, everyone I’ve met in this town so far has been kind to me.So maybe the party won’t be such a bad idea.
Chapter 4
Amelia
Wherethehellismy other shoe?
I stomp into the hallway, yelling for my sister, Hazel, who has a chronic condition called ‘borrowing without asking’.She’s eleven years younger and somehow still the biggest pain in my ass.All I want is for her to ask before taking my stuff.Is that too much?
Our house is a war zone.Not just a little messy, it’s a full-blown bombsite.The kind of place where you have to step over sofa cushions, dodge sneakers, and pray you don’t step on a Lego piece.The hallway walls, once a nice shade of cream, are now covered in everything from sticky fingerprints to random scribbles, thanks to Felix.The living room?A battlefield of laundry, snack crumbs, and half-finished homework is scattered across the coffee table.
I would’ve moved out ages ago, like Aurora, but Mom needs me.So, I’m stuck here, playing referee in a house that has zero respect for personal space.Privacy?What’s that?Alone time?I wish.Everything I own magically becomes family property.
“Hazel!”I yell.“Where are my black shoes?”
“Which ones?”she shouts back from somewhere in the house.
I blow out a breath and march toward her room.The second I reach her door, I know I’ve made a mistake.The smell alone—a mix of sweet perfume, dirty clothes, and what I swear is nail polish remover—makes my eyes burn.Clothes are everywhere.A towel hangs off the dresser.The bed?Unmade, of course, with at least three dirty plates stacked on the nightstand.
She’s sitting in the middle of it all, headphones in, totally unaware that she’s about to get a rude awakening.I yank one out.“This shoe.Where’s the other one?And for the final time, start asking before you take my stuff.”
Like I just interrupted her peace, she blinks up at me.“I don’t know where it is.”
Of course.
Frustration simmers beneath my skin, but I inhale sharply.I’m not going to let her get to me.“Fine.Then help me find it.”I need these shoes with my outfit, and we’re already running late.
The shoes are perfect… a tiny heel, just enough to be dressy without killing my feet.And since I’m covering today’s event for an article, I must look polished.Black tailored pants, a tucked-in blue blouse, hair straightened, makeup done.Ready to be professional, or at least I would be if I weren’t being trapped here by my sister’s mess.
I scan her room, my fingers twitching.“We don’t have time for this, and you’re not even ready.I bet no one else in this house is either.We need to go.”
She rolls her eyes.“Calm down.”
“Hazel, I’m working today.I can’t be late.”
“You need to relax.You need a life.Or a boyfriend.”
